The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced two modifications to address the impact of COVID-19 on D.C.-based operations in response to efforts to mitigate against the further spread of the novel coronavirus.
First, the Enforcement & Compliance Unit announced that it would alter certain regulations, on a temporary basis, affecting service of filed documents. Prior to this change, all filings made at Commerce needed to be served on other parties by the filer. Now, service is performed electronically through Commerce’s record-keeping system. After initially publishing this change on March 26 and establishing a May 19 planned expiration of the temporary rule, Commerce today extended the change through July 17, 2020.
Second, Commerce uniformly tolled by 50 days all deadlines in administrative reviews of antidumping and countervailing duty orders ongoing as of April 24, 2020. This tolling procedure is intended by Commerce to address its increased workload in the current environment.